How to help someone dealing with an addiction?

How to help someone dealing with an addiction?

All of us know someone who is dealing with an addiction. An addiction can come in various forms; someone is addicted to drugs someone to a person or a habit and so on. But, it is a very well accepted notion that all addictions are harmful for our personality as they tend to suck life out of us.

Also it is very interesting to note that, the person who is dealing with an addiction himself knows that the addiction is harmful and wants to come out of it. But, he is not able to do so as he starts facing a lot of ridicule from people he usually seeks acceptance from.

I will give some ways to help someone who is coping with an addiction:

1) Accept them as they are:

Once you accept the person struggling with addiction completely as they are in their present state, they feel a sense of affinity towards you and are willing to open up to you themselves. You will also be astonished to realise that they also want to come out of their present state, but are not able to do so they have not got any support from anyone so far. Also, the entire process is very tolling and they were not successful in their previous attempts.

2) Offer them Support:

Now, this is a very tricky part. They indeed are looking for support but you should not offer them your support directly as this might make them feel bad about themselves. Your actions should speak for themselves and you should just try to spend as much time with them as possible.

3) Explore a new hobby with them:

If you are successful in managing to achieve a basic level of intimacy with them, you should be easily be able to convince them to join a new hobby class with you. Exploring a hobby together will build more trust between both of you and you can start talking more directly about their addiction and suggesting ways to mitigate the same.

4) Helping them with withdrawal symptoms:

When anyone tries to leave an addiction behind the body behaves in a rather funny manner. The body has become salve to the abuse and will crave for it when the person stops taking it. It is crucial that you sit down with the person and remind him of how his life will change after he has changed. Our mind can easily influence to not slip into addiction again, but you have to remind the person that what the future has to offer in tough times.

5) Help him in building a fitness routine:

Dealing with addiction is always putting mind before body. During the last stages of the withdrawal, it is very important that you help the person in building a very sound fitness routine which will help the person in expediting the journey to a normal and healthy life.